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For only $35 and 23 minutes, WiFi users can increase signal strength and boost security in offices and homes. (Image: Xia Zhou)

Although the team used a special 3D printed material to get the optimum shape, they say that obviously not everyone has access to a 3D printer. It is possible to use cardboard to create the wavy structure although it might not be quite as effective.

‘Through this single solution, we address a number of challenges that plague wireless users,’ said Xia Zhou, an assistant professor of computer science at Dartmouth College who helped develop the technique .

"Not only do we strengthen wireless signals, we make those same signals more secure."

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Earlier research has already shown that an aluminium can behind the router can help direct the signal in a certain direction - this new study just builds on that further.

To create the technology, the research designed an algorithm that optimizes a reflector's 3-D shape to target wireless coverage. The team also developed an approach to simulating how radio signals spread and interact with objects in their environment.

"With a simple investment of about $35 (£26) and specifying coverage requirements, a wireless reflector can be custom-built to outperform antennae that cost thousands of dollars," said Zhou.